
ProverbWisdom
English origin
Utility is preferable to grandeur.
Meaning: Practical usefulness in daily life matters more than impressive but ornamental displays of wealth or status.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- Blunda To close your eyes on purpose — and, by extension, to knowingly refuse to see something.
- Fredagsmys The Friday-night ritual of soft clothes, snacks and television with the people you live w…
- Gökotta Rising at first light for no reason but to go outside and hear the birds sing.
Keep exploring